Who's It Gonna Be?
by The Stampy Shipper
Summary: Stampy is nothing short of perfect, because Netty drives him away from the mistakes before he makes them. She wants to protect her little brother, but with the new kid in town, can she continue to shield him? Or does Netty need to let Stampy make mistakes to learn from them on his own? (Squampy fic! :D No, not Sqampy. I am aware there's a difference.)
1. Chapter 1

Stampy is a very curious cat. I've kept him out of trouble for as long as I could, but now I think he's falling in love, and that's the worst kind of trouble there is. I can't exactly protect him from that, now can I? The most I can do is let him work through this one on his own or ban him from seeing that other guy. My little brother has fallen for a squid.

It's not a bad thing, really. I just don't want him to go through the heartache that love can bring, even if it does pass. Sometimes, it doesn't. Here's how I see it. Falling in love is like trying to draw a perfect heart. You make the first half beautiful and perfect, the best it can be. Then you have the other half, which you have to keep erasing and redrawing many many times before you give up because you don't know how long you've been at it and you just can't take anymore mistakes. I know this from personal experience.

I love Stampy with all my heart, and I'm only trying to protect him. I hope he understands. I think I shall have to talk with him.

 **A/N: I know this is short, but it's just a little intro. I shall be writing more. After all, this is long awaited by CreeperKiller55 (who's writing I love more than I love myself :D) This is gonna be a good story :) And if it goes well, I** ** _might even_** **make a sequel.**


	2. Chapter 2

_Netty Knows Best_

Netty: Come home, Stampy

Me: Netty, come on. I'm sixteen. Do I seriously need a seven o' clock curfew?

Netty: I'm just trying to keep you safe.

Me: I'll be fine.

Netty: K.

Oh boy, here we go with the "K.". For some reason, Netty doesn't like me being out whenever she knows I'm with Squid. Some days I can't even handle her overprotective nature and have to lie and tell her I'm with some people that I don't even talk to at school, like that kid Sky who doesn't like Squid. Mum would never make me come home this early. I sigh.

"What's wrong, mate?" Squid looks concerned.

"Netty wants me to go home," I admit. "But I just...I don't want to. I want to stay here."

"Well you know, if your older sister wants you to go home, you might want to. Overprotective parents are scary sometimes."

" **She's not my mum!** " I snap.

"Sorry." Squid flinches at my sudden outburst, but then relaxes. "I know it's hard, mate, but the pain will pass. In the end, you'll be grateful Netty was there at all. Don't forget, you're the one who was so grief-stricken when she moved out, and then the night came when…" He trails off. I nod in understanding and then he continues. "Look, all I'm trying to say is she came back for you in your time of need, and she needs you as well."

"I know." I'm holding back tears as he speaks. He's right. "I'm going to go home then."

"You have a good night." He pats my shoulder, careful not to touch the scar on it. It still stings and, besides the house I've lived in my entire life, it's the only reminder of the night my parents passed on.

"You too," I mumble. I scoop up my backpack and head for the door. I almost hope Squid will stop me, at least give me a hug, tell me everything will be fine. I know it will, but I just love to hear it. As I walk out the door, the bitter cold nips at the end of my nose. It's definitely winter alright, just another bitter reminder. As I'm walking home, I'm left to my thoughts. I hate everything lately, where usually I'm so...happy, for lack of a better word. I'm always described by others as loving, happy, playful, curious… Now, I avoid eye contact as often as I can and stay locked in my room, usually refusing to eat. The only person who is keeping me alive is Squid. I'm not sure why, but there's something about him. I want to make sure he's happy. I want to make sure he's not worrying. So whenever he's around, I do all the things I seem to have forgotten how to do.

When I walk inside, I hear Netty yell, "Stampy?" from the kitchen.

"Leave me alone," I reply as I make my way to my room. I can hear her following me and I quickly rush into my room and slam the door. I throw my backpack on the floor and flop down on the bed, tired and sad.

"Stampy, are you hungry?" Netty calls through the door. Maybe if I don't answer, she'll just go away. Unfortunately, I'm wrong, as she starts knocking as obnoxiously as possible. I get up and throw the door open. Her annoyed expression matches mine. She grabs my wrist and drags me to the kitchen despite my protests. "You're going to eat," she says, stopping by the table and crossing her arms.

"What are you going to do if I don't?" I ask sarcastically.

"You need to, Stamps! You're losing weight. It's not healthy. Sit down. Eat."

"No." I copy her stance, crossing my arms and tapping my foot. She knows she's being mocked. She doesn't like it, but she's putting up with it. I must say I have to give her credit.

"Fine, whatever. Don't eat then. I couldn't care less." She walks away. What? I'm utterly confused. That was over before it even began. Is she using reverse psychology, or does she legitimately not care? Whatever the case, I now feel guilty. I sit at the table and eat every bite of food on my plate, even if it takes a while. When I'm done, I walk back to my room. As I pass her's, I yell through the door, "Finished."

* * *

It's the middle of the night. I'm asleep, but I'm awake. By that I mean I can hear what's going on around me, which isn't much, but I can't open my eyes, and I'm so tired I cannot move. It's one of those things where you feel like you're awake, but you won't remember this in the morning. I hear the door creak open, a single sob escaping the person who entered.

"Stampy," she whispers, I feel her take my hand, her's wet with tears she had wiped away. "I know you're going through a rough patch. I miss them too. It will get better, I promise. I can see it in your face just how alone you feel. You're getting sick...from not eating, not sleeping, no sun, social interaction...and I know it's mostly because the only person you want to be around is that Squid boy and I don't want you to be, but I'm getting worried." She's starting to fade out. Sleep is completely taking over. "I love you and I don't want anything to happen to you. There's a connection between you and him that could end up with you getting hurt. I don't want that to happen. I know better than you right now how bad a broken heart can hurt. I know so much about you that you have yet to realize. Dad and I saw it when you were little, mom started to notice too...I always knew the day would come when you'd meet someone special. I don't know if you know how special that boy is to you yet, but believe me...I know."

 **A/N: How did I kill off his parents before the story even started, huuuuh?**


	3. Chapter 3

_Tom_

"I thought you were hanging out with your friend this afternoon," my brother, Tom, asks as soon as I open the door. Tom is my second favorite family member next to my auntie. He always listens to me and helps me through difficult times. He's probably the best brother on the face of the planet.

"I wanted to." I sigh in resignation. "He said he had to get home because Netty has to go to work and she doesn't want him out while she's gone. I was really looking forward to a movie and maybe some video game time."

"We can go to the movies if you'd like."

"I want to go with Stampy."

I hear Tom chuckle as I pull my homework from my backpack. "Is this about that little crush you have on him?"

I lift my head and glare at him, feeling unnecessarily defensive. "So what if it is?!"

"It's okay, calm down." Tom sits next to me. "I'm not here to judge. But I'm your brother and I am therefore obligated to tease you." I punch his arm playfully. I know he meant no harm by commenting on what I only wished for.

"I just feel like this is a one way thing. It's as if he knows of my feelings and is rejecting them without a word, without even acknowledging them. You know what that's like, right? With your many many crushes and all." I snicker. It's his turn to punch me now. I enjoy teasing him and he enjoys teasing me. It's just what brothers do, I suppose. I complete my homework, but I don't put it in my backpack right away. Instead, I sit staring into nothingness. I don't know what I'm thinking about, but I find myself asking Tom, "Do you think mum and dad would approve?"

He seems taken aback by my question. "Why wouldn't they? Why don't you ask them?"

"I don't know. I just feel like they would hate to find out, you know, about Stampy, about _me._ "

"Come on,"Tom's hand lands on my shoulder and he gives it a tight squeeze. "It probably wouldn't be so bad, and if it is, I would be right there with you to defend at all costs."

His words are reassuring, and I smile at him. "Thanks, Tom."

* * *

"Stampy, thank you for coming home like I asked. If anything happens, call me right away." Netty kisses my head, which I try to avoid to no avail. "Love you! Bye!" With that, she's out the door. _Great,_ I think to myself, _I can finally be alone with my thoughts._ Squid and I were supposed to go see a movie after school, but that didn't happen. Instead, Netty wanted me home to watch the house while she's gone and now I'm stuck here.

I go to my room and lay down. I'm ready for a nap, no matter what anyone thinks about it only being 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Lately, I've been very confused. Grief for my parents and feelings I can't even begin to comprehend for Squid keep coming up and mixing together and making me emotional. I want to cry, throw things, break things, yet at the same time I want to be near Squid, the only source of happiness I've had in forever, or what seems like forever anyway.

I look at my phone. Maybe I should call him. I feel like he knows exactly what I'm feeling, that he cannot look the other way because he's looking out for me but at the same time doesn't want to acknowledge that they're even there. Netty doesn't like him. I don't know why and I don't care. If I wanted someone to control who I hang around I would probably be an introvert and control it myself. But I like Squid...maybe even more than like, and I won't let my sister stand in the way of that. She says it's for the best, that she's trying to protect me, but there's nothing to protect me from and she's just going to have to face that.


	4. Chapter 4

_That Dreadful Night_

Sqaishey smiles as I ask the question I know she's been waiting to hear. "Sqaishey, will you be my prom date?" Squid looks down. I wonder what he's thinking about. I wanted to ask him to the prom, but what would everyone else think?

"Of course I will!" She practically jumps out of her skin, overwhelmed with joy. It almost makes me feel guilty knowing I don't want this, but she deserves to have fun. After all, she's had her share of disappointments and I don't want to be another one. What would my mum think? No, I need to push her out of my mind. If I do that, I can push away the horrible memory of our last night together and the scar on my shoulder, the constant reminder of the horrible surgery I had to go through after that night. It wasn't painful, as I slept through most of it, but the scar…

"Stamps?!" Squid's voice drags me from my thoughts. Sqaishey is gone now, and Squid looks concerned.

"Huh?"

"The bell just rang. We're late for class. Are you alright, mate?"

"I'm fine. Let's go." We speed off to class.

* * *

"Stampy, is that you?"

"Yeah, Squid's here, too!" Netty comes out of the kitchen when she hears this. Of course she would. She wants to make sure we're not "up to anything", meaning she doesn't like Squid and doesn't want him here.

"I don't think today is a good day for him to be here." Is that always going to be the excuse? Squid uncomfortably shuffles his feet and looks at the floor.

"It's never a good day, is it?" I snap. "We'll be in my room."

"Stampy, no. He needs to leave." Something in her eyes tells me it's not hate, but something else driving her to tell me I cannot be with my friend. I refuse to believe it's anything but hate. Ever since she came home, she has been this way; bitter like coffee.

"You're not my mother, Netty! He's not leaving!" I take Squid by the wrist and pull him along to my room, leaving Annette completely shocked in the living room.

When we enter my room, Squid says, "Stampy, that was completely uncalled for. Why do you have to talk to your sister like that. She seemed upset."

"Well, if she stopped treating me like her child, it wouldn't be an issue, would it?"

"Netty is feeling the same pain you are from losing your parents."

" **No she's not!** " I don't mean to shout, but now I'm overwhelmed. Squid's eyes soften. I sit on my bed and cover my face. I don't want him to see me breakdown, but I know he's not leaving. A sob escapes me before I can stop it. "She wasn't there."

"What happened that night?" I feel his arm wrap around me in a comforting way, and I can't help but lean into him, taking in all the comfort he has to offer.

I give myself some time to cry. I feel overwhelmed as I try to think of where to begin. "Mum, dad and I were in the car, driving home. It was dark and I was falling asleep. I don't know all that happened. I just remember the car…" I trail off and swallow the horrible lump in my throat."The car skidded off the road and hit a tree on my side. Dad was thrown from the car and the tree hit my mum's door directly and crushed it inward. The doctor said she hit her head hard enough to do some serious brain damage, but she didn't die on impact. I got away with a broken shoulder, all too unlucky."

"How is that unlucky?" Squid looks at me. I can't find the strength to turn away, but I try so hard. The last thing I want is for him to see how I really feel. He knows now, though. I don't know what he's thinking. His face is straight, but I think I catch a tear as he turns his head away. "I have to go, Stamps. Netty doesn't want me here. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Squid, wait!" I yell as he rushes through the door, right past Netty, who just happened to walk by. He doesn't stop. "Look what you've done!" I shout at her.

"Stamps, what-"

"Leave me alone!" She grabs my wrist as I try to leave.

"You're not getting away from me that easily. What is wrong with you?"

I sense hurt in her voice and cannot bring myself to look at her. I pull my arm away. "Leave me alone." My tone is much softer now than it was before. "I need to get Squid back here."

 _ **A/N: I really, truly am trying to get back into the swing of things. This is a filler chapter. I promise they will get much better.**_


	5. Chapter 5

Hey guys! I know it's been a really long time. I'm just now getting active on Wattpad again. If you want to follow me there, the username is DSSundeexStamps!


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